blockhead wrote:Its the Peoples Republic for an Independent Cork (PRIC) that I feel sorry for. Years and years of Munster V Zebre/Treviso/dragons etc. And then they have to watch this chyte! Awful game. Schmidt out!

Just back from game. Thought our scrum & lineout went well (when Strauss was throwing). Not so good in the loose. Backs played like strangers. Not helped by a poor kicking game & England offside on the hindmost foot throughout the game. 9-11 would have been a fair result. Earls should be on the wing, where he doesn't have to pass.Henderson & front row worthy for the trip to Romeo on the basis of tonight.

Oldschool wrote:Joe, as an international coach, has typically had his likely team training together for the two weeks (If possible) prior to a game.That being the case Murray and Keatley could be the starting HBs against Italy for example.However for the 6Ns match schedule he obviously has to make some adjustments to the way/when the likely teams will train together.We might get an insight into how he manages the schedule over the next few weeks.He might for example have two match day squads. One for the slightly easier Italy and Scotland games. The other for the big three.It's hard to see where the Wolfhounds match fits in if even.

Said some of this before the game.The Wolfhounds played like a scratch side that had just met.Based on that observation it seems very likely that the team to play Italy have trained together all week whereas the Wolfhounds got very little time together.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.

Donny B. wrote:For all the talk beforehand Slammin' Sam did f%~k all. England never learn that fast-tracking League converts into England squads never really works

If England want a big slow lump with an offloading game in the centre they would actually be better off at the moment with Matt Banahan as at least he understands what is going on around him. Burgess looked way out of his depth. If he gets anywhere near the senior team then Andy Farrell really is just picking his League mates and hasn't a notion about Union.

"You can’t defend like the boss one week and the cookie man the next".

Thought Madigan was very poor, D'Arcy outside him even worse! Earls is a winger, gets caught defensively too much still at this stage of his career, either Fitz/Henshaw/Payne at 13 going forward (I would with Henshaw/Fitz with Payne the bench option).

One thing that I cant get around with regards to Madigan is kicking from hand (general play) is how poor it is! He works with Richie Murphy (am I right to say kicking coaching would be a role of his) both with Leinster and Ireland and imo its getting a little worse rather than improving.

I'm with Kitson on this one. One of my favourite rugby memories is of an "A" match (in fact I think it was called a "B" game in those days) in the late 80's/early 90's in Donnybrook when a team containing the likes of Bradley, Michael Kiernan and Popplewell hammered a highly rated England with Rupert Moon, later capped by Wales, at 9.

No doubt the English clubs, and perhaps our Provinces, are unwilling to release yet more players to the unions but the A/B level was a worthwhile bridge to the international level for many players

Gas reading that thread and all but the last few posts from a few years ago. A bit of a Proustian madeleine being unpeeled there. Names from the past- Darcy, Boss, distant present- Madigan and those still playing for Ireland- Fergus, etc. Quite a mix.

artaneboy wrote:Gas reading that thread and all but the last few posts from a few years ago. A bit of a Proustian madeleine being unpeeled there. Names from the past- Darcy, Boss, distant present- Madigan and those still playing for Ireland- Fergus, etc. Quite a mix.

How quickly things move on...

But yeah- the A games were great for development. Bring ‘em back!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't think scratch sides are a great tool for development at all and knowing Schmidt he wouldn't be wasting too much of his energy on it.